All Blog Posts Tagged 'Israel' (48)

Rabbi Bennett F. Miller, chair of ARZA, the Association of Reform Zionists of America, recently sent out a letter to ARZA members announcing the appointment of the organization’s new president. In his words: “The ARZA Board has unanimously approved the selection of Joshua Weinberg to serve as the president of ARZA. The selection of Joshua Weinberg concludes an international search process that began in October 2012.” If you would like to read…

In the last two years, the Western Wall in Jerusalem — also known as the Kotel — has become a place of controversy as much as of worship. It’s the site of a battle that has long been waged by a group called Women of the Wall, who are demanding they be able to pray in the women’s section wearing tallits — Jewish prayer shawls — and also be permitted to read from the Torah, rights that the rabbi of…

Noa Sattath, Director of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), recently sent out an email informing recipients of current events surrounding Women of the Wall and asking supporters to write to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ask him to continue making changes at the Kotel (Western Wall). Here is her email with a link to the site to write to the PM and links to various related articles.

With Anat…

Tuesday this week, November 20, Jeremy Leigh and Dr David Mendelsson discussed “Operation Pillar of Defense” in a webcast. 

The webcast was a great success and, in case you missed it, you can still hear it by following this link.

 …

Following the arrest of Anat Hoffman on October 16 at the Kotel (Western Wall) and her subsequent harsh treatment by the police, the right of every Jew to pray at the Kotel has been discussed at The Jewish Agency for Israel’s (JAFI) board meeting. At the meeting Chairman Natan Sharansky said, “We are very angry and very upset at the behavior of Israel’s police”.

The plenary resulted in the passing of a resolution (following a 7-5 recommendation…

On Tuesday night, October 16, Anat Hoffman was arrested during a prayer service at the Kotel for saying Sh’ma Israel aloud and for wearing a tallit. The service was held at the women’s section of the wall and was attended by some 250 participants including members from Women of the Wall and Hadassah.

Anat Hoffman was subsequently taken to the police…

Yesterday, Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) launched a campaign to stop Magen David Adom, Israel’s renowned emergency service, from appointing Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, chief Rabbi of Safed, as head of their new rabbinical committee.

The committee will be setting religious guidelines on gender relations and issues of Tsniut (modesty) for volunteers in MDA. This appointment…

In a letter to the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ), Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak and Minister of Trade, Industry and Commerce, Shalom Simchon congratulate the movement on "its historic accomplishment of the State's recognition of Reform and Conservative Rabbis".

In addition, both Ministers offer their support in IMPJ's further struggle to end discrimination of non-Orthodox streams of Judaism in…

Last week’s historical decision to recognize non-Orthodox rabbis in Israel has resulted in both congratulations, press coverage in both Israel and abroad and of course a feeling of renewed drive among people fighting tirelessly for the rights of egalitarian Jews in Israel to be able to live a religious Jewish life in accordance with their customs and beliefs.

Yesterday, Gilad Kariv, rabbi and Director of the Israel Movement for Progressive…

Today, the Attorney-General’s office announced that the state has decided to follow the advice of the High Court of Justice to start paying the wages of non-Orthodox rabbis in Israel serving their communities, just as it is paying the wages of 4000 Orthodox rabbis. So far, non-Orthodox rabbis in Israel have been paid by their congregations through membership dues.

The decision is based on a petition filed in 2005 by Rabbi Miri Gold of…

Starting on Monday June 18th, the leadership of ARZENU the International Federation of Reform and Progressive Zionists together with participants from the World Union for Progressive Judaism and the IMPJ (Israel Reform Movement) will be gathering in Jerusalem to participate in the annual World Zionist Organization's Va’ad Hapoel (…

Negotiations Stalemate; Supreme Court schedules new hearing regarding the status of non-Orthodox rabbis and their rights to state funding.

The Supreme Court has set May 9 as the date when they will hear arguments regarding the status of non-Orthodox rabbis and their rights to state funding. The original petition was brought by the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) which is the legal arm of the Israel…

Last week, ARZA Canada held a week-long program for members, which included remembering Israel's fallen soldiers on Yom HaZikaron and celebrating Israel's 64th birthday during Yom Ha'atzmaut. 

As part of the program, the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) produced a video to thank ARZA Canada for its support over the years. Click …

In March, Gusti Yehoshua Braverman, Co-Chair of the department for Diaspora activities at the World Zionist Organization (WZO) and former Associate Director of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ), went on a work trip to the United States to lay out the 5773 activities of the WZO’s department for Diaspora activities in North America.

The main objectives…

This week, Anat Hoffman, executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), celebrated her 10-year anniversary with the organization. Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center (RAC) of Reform Judaism in the US, and Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), offered…

This year, in honour of Israel Independence Day, ARZA Canada – in conjunction with the newly-formed ARZA Canada Rabbinic Council – will launch the first-ever ARZA Canada Week across Canada from April 22 to 28, 2012. 

The aim of ARZA Canada Week is to produce programmes and activities that will enable this week to become a highlight of ARZA Canada’s calendar each year. This year, both Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut…

The Union for Progressive Judaism in collaboration with ARZA and Emanuel Synagogue will host a memorable experience for Australian Progressive Jews immediately after Pesach

Join the Union for Progressive Judaism on a journey of heritage and hope from Sunday 15 April to Wednesday 2 May 2012. We will visit the sites of the Holocaust in Poland from 16 to 23 April and celebrate our Jewish homeland from 24 to 30 April.

Led by…

Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) president, Prince Mangosuthu Buthlelezi told a pro-Israel event on Wednesday that he is ashamed and embarrassed of how South Africa has sidelined Israel in favour of Palestine.

Speaking to nearly 400 guests at an evening called a ‘Night to Honour Israel’ at the Durban Jewish Club, Buthlelezi said the South African Government maintains an understated position with regards to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict despite the country’s diplomatic ties with…

On Wednesday last week, the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) and the Council of Progressive Rabbis (CPR) in Israel issued a statement on the social protests that are currently taking place on the streets of all Israeli major cities.

The people’s voice is as God’s voice

This year, the period of “Between the Straits” (bein ha-meitzarim) has seen an outpouring of protests throughout Israel. Citizens have…

Rabbi Richard G. Hirsch’s new book, For the Sake of Zion, Reform Zionism: A Personal Mission, was launched in Jerusalem on Monday, June 27. Gil Troy, a professor of history at McGill University in Montreal and the author of numerous books, who currently lives in Israel, wrote an article for The Jewish Week about Rabbi Hirsch and his latest book.

At a time when we read constantly about the crises of Liberal Zionism and Reform Zionism, Rabbi Hirsch, at…